A Higher Being
by goolcaptain
Summary: The Mayor won, the Ascension happened, the Scoobies lost. But you know what they say, where there's 'Faith' there's hope


Author; goolecaptain  
Summary; Takes place in a possible future where the Mayor achieved ascension and the scoobies were defeated/enslaved/eaten. I've read many such stories and this is my rebuttal to them. What can I say, I guess I have 'faith'  
Spoilers/Timeline; after season 3  
Rating ; PG13  
Pairing; Faith and the Oracles  
Disclaimer; these characters are not mine and belong purely to the creators of Buff the Vampire Slayer and Angel. This work is just for fun and has no profit motive.  
Distribution; take what you like  
Feedback; story at http/badgirls. By publishing the link the story this goes back to the latest list in case you're wondering

Now if you're over 18 and VERY open minded you can find an NC17 rated version of this story under my name at adult fan fiction . net

A Higher Being

The Mayor held up a mauve coloured crystal "...and I used this so I will have no memory of making this recording. If you're watching this, then it means that the love I once had for you is gone, that my demon half has overwhelmed my essence of humanity. But if that is the case I would no longer want to go on. And I would wish to give you, my dear Faith a second chance, to make another world where you may find true and lasting happiness. Follow my instructions and know I love you, always"

It was cool in the mausoleum. Cool and peaceful. No screams, no sobbing, no roaring. Faith or what had once been her had almost forgotten what that was like.  
"How dare you come in here..."  
"This place is sacred..."  
"Servants of the darkness are not welcome here..."  
"Leave this place and never return..."  
They sounded like her old headmistress back in Boston. Now that was a woman who knew how to use a cane Faith thought darkly. It was time to cut to the chase.  
"I want to turn it all back"  
That stumped them.  
She spoke at last "Do you know how many people have asked that? Our place is not to interfere with the wants of lower beings"  
Faith started to cry. She hadn't cried in countless years. She was surprised she remembered how.  
"Please, I'll do anything, just bring it all back. As though the Ascension never happened"  
Silence again. This time he spoke first. "Why would a being of the darkness want to destroy their demon paradise?"  
Faith had no answer. "Please..."  
"Do you have an offering?" Her again. All business. Good. She dumped the massive holdall in front of them, black blood oozing from its' seams, still twitching in it's macabre involuntary reflex.  
"His heart" her words didn't convey the true horror of how she felt.  
"A gift indeed. But merely offal" she noted, unmoved by the gory tribute in front of her. She reached out and stroked Faith's cheek. "This is not a lower being. She will give all that she hold's dear for the restoration of what should have been". She stroked her hair. Her touch made Faith shiver uncontrollably, it felt literally magical.  
"You realise what this means?" he was behind her now. She could feel his cool breath on the back of her neck. "All would be cast headlong in the stream of life with no control over where we end"  
"It has to be better than this..." she trailed off.  
They didn't even speak to each other. It was done with a single unspoken thought between them. Faith felt what seemed like the entire world seem to shake around them, even in the haven as time began to collapse in on itself.  
Their world was ending.  
"It is near, dear sister" she heard him say.  
"Patience brother" she cautioned.  
How could they be so calm?  
She looked up and saw them trade a final glance as the temple construct began to shimmer and dissolve. The female proffered her hand and he kissed it tenderly.  
Then the world stopped.

"So this is sleeping beauty?" the intern looked her over, taking in the patient's features, still pretty despite the mass of scar tissue and bruising.  
"Yeah, or the pot plant, depending on how you look at her" commented the nurse, updating the chart.  
"Her scarrings' healing" Ben was amazed at the girls' powers of recovery. If this kept up she'd be virtually unblemished. He looked at her chart. No, the brain damage was too severe for her ever to recover, Glory couldn't even brainsuck this one, there wasn't enough left.

"Yeah, she's a tough one to survive all the trauma but unless she can regrow brain cells looking fine is all she's good for" She put down the chart, restoring her pen to her pocket. "C'mon, I'll buy you a cup of coffee"  
They left her, sleeping beauty, alone in the dark, the Slayer powers gradually restoring the delicate tissues within her skull. Her higher functions rested, awaiting their time, her subconscious had free range to play and tried to make the most of it, yearning, clawing to climb it's way out if the pit of darkness it had created for itself. And amongst it all there was a fading remnant of a distant time, a time that could never truly have happened, of an world overrun by demons, of a land of misery and pain that eventually sickened her once the flame of vengeance waned and inhumanity overwhelmed her adopted father. Of two silver skinned beings and a moment of passion whilst the world was ending.  
As she awaited her inevitable awakening, Faith had such a strange dream.


End file.
